What happened in Huskieland since you left?

‘Tailback LeShon Johnson received honors by four major magazines through July. Among these as Football Digest’s pre-season Second-Team All-American.

‘The softball team finished out the year at 40-16, a new school record. First baseman Niki VanHooreweghe was given Third Team All-America honors by the National Softball Coaches Association.

‘Softball Coach Dee Abrahamson won the 1993 Mid-Con Coach of the Year award.

‘The men’s tennis team finished the year by winning the Mid-Con Tournament and the conference championship. The club went 18-11 overall and 6-0 in the Mid-Con.

‘The women’s tennis team also reigned as champions of the Mid-Con. The team went 18-11 in 1993.

‘The Huskie baseball team ended its season at 16-34-1. Bright spots on Spanky McFarland’s club included designated hitter Greg Gargani, outfielder Mike Birsa and first baseman Zach Zavac. All three garnered All-Mid Con recognition.

‘The Huskie grapplers rounded out the year at 6-9-0. Senior Jim Kossakowski went 27-9-0 to capture the team’s Most Valuable Wrestler Honors.

‘The men’s swimming and diving team went 6-7 for the season and captured third place at the Mid-Con meet.

‘The women’s swimmers went 7-7 and also captured third place at the Mid-Con.

‘The NIU men’s golf team had its dreams of an unprecedented “four-peat” shattered but did finish a solid second at the Mid-Con Tournament.

‘The NIU women’s golfers finished in the top five in seven of the ten tournaments they participated in during the 1992-93 season.

‘Former NIU defensive lineman Rob Wagner signed a free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys. Wagner graduated last year.

‘Former NIU defensive lineman Ted Hennings narrowly averted being paralyzed in a late-May Arena Football League game. He has since recovered. Hennings played for NIU from 1986 to 1989.

‘Former NIU sports information director Bud Nangle was inducted into the College Sports Information Hall of Fame. Nangle was at NIU from 1947 to 1949 and 1967 to 1984.

‘Former NIU woman’s basketball player Denise Dove was named assistant woman’s basketball coach at the University of Arizona. Dove played for NIU from 1987 to 1991.

‘Former NIU head tennis coach Carl Neufeld was named head men’s tennis coach at Southern Methodist University. Neufeld was coach at NIU from 1980 to 1990.

‘Former NIU men’s basketball player Jay Bryant was named head boy’s basketball coach at Hononegah High School in Rockton, Ill. Bryant played on the NIU basketball team from 1976 to 1980.

‘NIU Sports Information Director Mike Korcek received four awards in the 1992-93 College Sports Information national writing contest, including three “Best in District” awards.

‘NIU woman’s basketball star E.C. Hill and Head Women’s Basketball Coach Jane Albright-Dieterle participated on the bronze medal winning U.S. women’s basketball team in the summer’s World University Games.

‘The NCAA determined the controversial Proposition 48, a program implemented in 1986 to raise athlete’s grades, resulted in a six percent graduation rate increase among college athletes.

‘Former NIU Baseball Coach Darrel Black died on July 18. Black coached at NIU from 1956 to 1963. He was 77 years old.

‘Former NIU Assistant Football Aide Pete Peltzer died on July 21 after being in a coma for two and a half years. Peltzer coached at NIU from 1988 to 1990. He was 42 years old.